Notre Dame, ACC open football scheduling talks

November 08, 2012|By Brian Hamilton | Tribune reporter

(Tribune illustration)

Two months after the announcement of a Notre Dame-ACC football partnership, the Irish don't know who they will play in the first year of that partnership. But both sides started to puzzle that out Wednesday.

ACC officials met with Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., to examine the open dates both sides have from 2014 on and open the dialogue about who fits in where.

"Beyond the mutual understanding that Notre Dame will begin to play five games against ACC opponents in 2014, this was the first attempt to get into some detail in terms of understanding the ACC process and a start at looking at optional dates in the early years of the relationship," Notre Dame spokesman John Heisler said in an email.

Notre Dame announced on Sept. 12 that it would join the ACC in all sports except football and hockey, agreeing to play five games against ACC opponents as part of the deal.

The Irish were expected to play every ACC team at least once in every three-year rotation, but ACC commissioner John Swofford told CBSSports.com that "that can change as we go through a cycle."